• Replace duties and responsibilities with your accomplishments. Showing what you’ve achieved predicts future behavior. Determine a target or goal. What type of job do you want? In what industry or industries? Put it on your resume.
• Job search opportunities don’t require listing every job you’ve ever held. List no more than about 15 years of jobs.
• List all jobs that contributed to your experience for the position you want. (Even if over 15 years ago.)
• Don’t include your hobbies, religious activities, or ethnic organizations. Stay focused.
• Keep it simple. No brochure, colorful or avant garde resume styles.

• Use combination resumes. Combining a brief chronological history with effective achievement statements is the most important part of resume writing.
• Make it clear that your expertise and technology skills are up-to-date. This negates the automatic impression that your technology abilities are stale.
• Stress your current expertise to assure readers that your abilities are still relevant.
• Help to clarify your employment gaps by stating anything you did that was noteworthy–even if unpaid–and why these activities bring value to a new employer.
• The most valuable job search tips on writing a resume require that you dispel assumptions about any gaps in your employment.

• Research the company and the specific job before the interview. A critical component of interviewing for success is knowledge of your prospective employer and their needs. This always helps to make a good impression.
• Always get to the interview site on time. If you are unsure of the location of the interview site, make a “dry run” before the day of the interview. You should not only know where you’re going, but also leave time for traffic congestion issues. Leave well before normal driving time to be sure you are prompt–it never hurts to be early.
• Relax and project a confident, comfortable image. Interviewers are aware that job candidates for project work or full-time employment are typically stressed.
• By projecting a smiling, relaxed and comfortable persona, you might be offered a contract work agreement after only one interview.

• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? Be enthusiastic about your strengths. Frame your “weakness answers” in positive terms. For example, “I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, but I’m learning to balance my professional responsibilities.”
• Why are you interested in this position? Always convey enthusiasm for the position, the company and the opportunity to meet with the interviewer.
• What are your goals for the next three, five or ten years? Be reasonable and focus answers on growth and progression with this prospective employer.
• Why would you like to work here? Use your preparation and company research to provide an answer that displays your employer knowledge.
• What value can you add to our company? Give the interviewer examples of some accomplishments that would be relevant.

When conducting a job search, be ready for similar questions at both traditional and behavioral interviews. Be prepared.

• Get references and letters of recommendation well before the interview process. Between three and six good references or letters should be sufficient.
• Research the company. Always get information on prospective employers when interviewing for success.
• Understand your abilities. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
• Prepare, prepare, prepare. You can’t over-prepare for job interviewing success.
• Learn about the ‘STAR’ (situation, task, action, results) technique for answering interview questions. Describe a situation or task you’ve faced, the action you took and the results you achieved.
• Ask thoughtful questions. Prepare some appropriate questions for your interviewer.
• Be positive and wildly enthusiastic. You’d be surprised how much success in a job interview you can achieve through enthusiasm.
• Be honest. While you shouldn’t be shy, don’t embellish or “blow smoke” at your interviewer.
• Be realistic. Don’t expect more than a professional “red carpet.” Just relax.
• Be clear about your expertise. Be confident, not overbearing, and comfortable with your expertise and how it will help your new company.

These tips should help you achieve successful job interviews.